The Annual Synthesis
The State of Housing in Western Massachusetts
One page for the whole region, built from the same public records as every town page. The 101 towns of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties, added up and, where they differ, laid side by side.
How Many People Live Here
The four counties hold 828,188 people, a figure that has held steady for about two decades. The long line is the census, count by count.
Population of Western Mass, Census by Census
828,1882020 count, the four western counties
Half a Century of Building
New homes permitted across all 101 towns, every year since 1980. The 1980s boom, the long drought after 2008, and whatever this year is becoming.
New Homes Permitted Region-Wide, Since 1980
822units permitted region-wide in 2025 · permission to build, not completions
The Rate Behind Every Sale
Where the rate stands right now is in this week's numbers (most recently the issue of August 3, 2026), and every past week in the archive. The national 30-year mortgage rate, monthly since 1971. The number that decides what any of these prices actually costs to carry.
The 30-Year Mortgage Rate, Monthly Since 1971
6.66%this week's national average (Freddie Mac)
Where the Region's People Actually Live
Population-weighted across the 101 towns, so a hilltown of 300 does not count the same as a city of 150,000.
How the 101 Towns Differ
The honest spread, lowest to highest, with the town named at each end. Not a ranking, a range. Sort any of it yourself on the comparison tool.
| Measure | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|
| Property Tax on the Median Home | Hancock $769/yr | Longmeadow $9,966/yr |
| Median Single-Family Value | Monroe $146,400 | Alford $1,066,450 |
| Per-Pupil School Spending | Clarksburg $15,610/student | Sandisfield $32,033/student |
| Walkability (EPA 1-20) | Savoy 1.5 | Springfield 13.4 |
| Renters Spending 30%+ on Housing | Alford 0% | Otis 100% |
| Average Snowfall a Year | Amherst 37″ | Windsor 85″ |
| Share of Adults With a Bachelor's+ | Orange 15.8% | West Stockbridge 76.1% |
| Housing Stock Built Before 1940 | Florida 5.1% | Monroe 66.7% |
From the Desk
RE413 News on this subject: which towns are actually building. Every piece is built from the same public record as the figures above, and states the period each covers.
Sources
- The 101 town records. Every figure is derived from the town bundles, which cite each underlying public source (DLS, Census Bureau, HUD, MassGIS, FEMA, MassDEP, DESE, EPA, NOAA, USGS, Freddie Mac) in full on the town pages. Checked 2026-08-05.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.